The Scot described Ronaldo as the "old and fat one" when asked to compare the 36-year-old to his namesake Cristano ahead of the Spanish giants' visit to Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Although Ferguson stressed that his words were meant "affectionately", Ronaldo was disappointed to hear the remarks at the time, and believes los Blancos' 3-2 aggregate triumph in the Champions League tie was a suitable way to silence the 71-year-old.

"Real Madrid shut his mouth for me," he told reporters in Brazil, before adding his hope that "the team managed by Ferguson always loses."

Ronaldo had earlier this week responded to the issue at an event related to World Cup 2014, telling reporters: "I respect his opinions, I'm not pretentious as to expect that everyone will think I'm the best," he told reporters.

"I'm happy for what I achieved in football and for having been chosen as the best in the world.

"I feel sorry for the disrespectful manner in which he referred to me, it's something that's not good for someone of his position."

The 36-year-old was widely revered for his impact on the footballing world, with the Brazilian scoring over 400 goals during a glittered career that saw him win the World Cup twice and earn the accolade of Fifa World Player of the Year on three separate occasions.

Recently, the striker’s legacy has been sullied by his well-documented weight issues, forcing the former Golden Boot winner to turn to reality TV to lose more than four stone throughout the course of the Brazilian show - a staggering feat that he jokingly claimed Ferguson was unaware of at the time.